Centrifugal clutch



March 2, 1954 c. o. BRUESTLE 2,670,829 CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH Filed June 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l M l' Al[|!LT I 04 I -March 2, 1954 CENTRIFUGAL CLUTCH Filed June 27, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 c. o. BRUESTLE 2,670,829 1 Girl- 9; Bj-uesfic -Metuche t ,"N: 3.3a coraiiinieatitii mire-2i; 1950, Serial No. mat

Eilaimsi (o1. iiii iti invention relates to a; couplingdevice fjor oft- Figure ltoshovv the-location and constfiibtioii transmitting power from'a' driving member to if of tlie braket member fservingto convert cer'r load and, more particularly, it relates to a'cn ti'i'fb'galfoic to a clutching force;

trifugal coupling member embodying aflexible Figlif3 TS'Z sectidn taken acrossthe shafta't clutching band: 5 li'iieiQ ibf Fig'iir I and s'liowsan'end elevation For many purposes in mechanical power trans= of the device? r r mission it is highly desirable to have the driving .Figur4 is a-sebtionthrbugh thedevice taken m em prime mover a in ataeivenirate along the line 44 ofFigure 3- snotving' t *inter of speed before it transmits power to a load; fisr-aoustrac'uen and arrangement bfjparts'i- Variousmethods of so doing are-known; mseme F gart- 5 is ae'ection taken along the line 5&5 types of operationgthe" application of the prime or Figure wifig' the'uvice in the "free 'riina mover to the load is desired at a giveniratet-sueli' iiing cobalt and' as when- .the prime mover has reached fullload Fig'ui'e'iii a s'ctfh taken'along the lines" speed; Similarly; should the prime mover fall- 61 Figure d shows we relationship of pate below full speed it isdesirable to have'an aiitd l5 rihgf th clutching-period? matic decoupling for suehv'an occurrence; Ad; fe g backhoe} to Figures 1 and for a vantage'has been taken in thepast of centrifugal I f' t ""iiderstandi"""" W devices for so doing; s (if the (let p, W

It is accordingly a. fundamental object of this 5a mire eseiitsa-sliaft; on Whili' th uevme invention: to provide an improved centrifugal i nte" H i's'the hub orfiriimcarryf coupling. device for connecting 'adrivingm'embei i g the; eiit'ir devicwhicli' is held in plate; (iii to 'a: load to transmit power thereto: sliift' "by key [2". gummy mounted on the It is a'scond Object of the ifivefitibfl t0" H" is fid'biat" which is fastened the Hill? vide a flexible coupling connection between a egi-meansofs'ziap ringlltoliold itinplaca prime mover and a: load: I1 and fid plate 14' are'fixeirjto ajeh fb'the Other objects andadvantag'es'oi theinveiitiofi w'illin part be obvious andpart appear here inafter. v

The invention; accordingly; is embodied in a, p structure having a means for coupling a pair of shafts acting as a fiexible'coupling to" take linear amounts of play; the device includinga hub carrying a pulley or sprocket for transmit: ting power to a' load; the said pulley beingfree I runningo'n' said hub in a no load condition; the pulley also having adjoining it;a circumferential clutching area, there being mounted on the'hub a centrifugal member forming a bracket ever the hub.- The bracket serves to furnish anchor points for a flexible band looped around the clutching area ofthe driven member sothat wh n a y ns eer fo flotetienisdeve oped. centrifugal force will cause the bracket to be dis;

egral is v is hemplaced from the hub, thei'b mi I z pulley the inventio tiflifugalclutching member A ving' the res a fi of construction combinations" df eleme and W a t .7 w amid RF IBQWI 11 m be 23 m {HE drawings mounting-point 24 on the'other side the'reofz It Fifife 1' constitutes a side" i'fiation didewill Wobsefvedthrough-examination of Fi ure-2 vice showing the shaft and the relationship 01 that an adjustment is allowed for in the amount the several parts thereto; of play in said flexible band by setting point 23 Figure 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 n amuat? opening 25 in bracket I9 that:

' 3 minor adjustment in the length of the flexible band can be made.

For maintaining alignment of parts and guiding bracket IS in its movement, pin 26 is mounted in end plate l3 and slot 21 thereby to permit bracket 19 to develop the necessary amount of radial motion for the functioning of the device. The orientation of slot 21 is in the same direction as the orientation of the elliptical hole 20 in bracket'lS.

It will be seen in Figure 2 that the device has been drawn to show bracket 19 at its extreme outward radial position and the snubbing action of the flexible band is in effect. That is, the outward movement of bracket l9 has tightened band 22 around drum I! to effect rotation of pulley l5. In Figure 3 the device is shown with the opposite condition prevailing.

In Figure 4 the detailed construction appears as revealed by longitudinal section through the device. Shaft H3 is shown keyed to hub H by key l2, which is also held in place by set screw 3|. Under the pulley [5 there are shown bearing liners 32 and 33 which serve to help in lubricating the device. The other parts of the apparatus are readily identifiable from the designations applied thereto in Figure 1; namely the anchor points 23 and 24, which are shown as bolts, and the flexible band 22.

In Figures 5 and 6 there is shown the function of spring device 48 which serves to assist in disengaging the parts when conditions change from driving to free-running. Thus in Figure 5 spring 40, bearing against pins 4|, 42 and 413, by its curvature, applies a radial centralizing force on bracket l9. During th period the device is freerunning, the parts are centered as shown in Figure 5. When the clutch is in operation and the prime mover is driving pulley l5 through flexible band 22, spring 40 is distorted and overcom and 4 purpose of illustrating the principle thereof and it is to be understood that those skilled in the art could develop variations of the instant invention without departing from the spirit or the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

In a device for coupling a rotary driving member to a driven member, a drive shaft, a drum mounted on said shaft and fixed thereto, a free-running driven member on said shaft, and anchor means mounted on said drum, compris- -ing a bracket adjacent to said drum, said drum drum, said bracket carrying drum a pair of anchor pins,

bracket I9 is in an off-center position. When the driving speed is reduced the lag which might be inherent in the apparatus for uncoupling the flexible band from a clutching surfac is overcome by the force of spring :10, for at a given speed level centrifugal force is reduced to a point which might be sufliciently high to keep the clutch still engaged, but the force of the spring is sufiicient to disengage the flexible band by centering bracket l9.

From the detailed explanation of the construction of the device as has been set forth above the mechanism and operation should be fairly apparent. However, by referenc to Figure 1 it will be seen that in the free-running condition driving shaft it will cause it to rotate with the hub II and end plate [3. However, in view of the fact that pulley l6 and clutch ll are made free-running on the hub H, they will not be engaged and the load, which is to be driven by pulley 16, will hold them stationary. When the speed of rotation of the hub ll reaches its desired level centrifugal force developed by weights 2| on bracket [9 will be sufficient to cause bracket 19 to move radially outward, thereby to take up slack on the band 22 and apply a snuboing action to the clutching drum H, with the result that the load will be engaged and driven at the desired rate ofspeed. When the rate of speed is reduced to a given level the load is disengaged by 9, reverse sequence of steps.

Though the invention has been described with only a single embodiment, that has been for the having thereon a guiding pin which permits a limited amount of radial movement of said bracket with respect to the center of the said on substantially diawith respect to the and a flexible band connected at its respective ends to said anchor pins and passing from one of said anchor pins around said driven member to the second of said anchor pins, so that radial movement of said bracket causes said flexible band to seize said driven member.

A coupling device for coupling a rotary driving member to a driven member comprising a drum for mounting on a driven shaft, a freerunning pulley and clutching cylinder on said drum, said pulley and said cylinder being joined, and a bracket mounted on said drum for radial movement with respect thereto, and an end plate fixed to said drum, said end plate engaging said bracket, and a clutching means comprising a flexible band mounted at one point on said bracket and passing at least once around said clutching cylinder and thereafter fastened to a second point on said bracket so that radial movement of the bracket produces a snubbing action on the driving member to transmit power from the drum to the pulley.

3. A coupling devic for coupling a rotary driving member to a driven shaft, comprising a drum for mounting on the drive shaft, a free-running pulley and clutching cylinder integral therewith on said drum, a bracket mounted on said drum metrically opposite points i for radial movement with respect thereto and an eccentric weight on said bracket to direct radial movement thereof, an end plate fixed to said drum, said end plate engaging said bracket, and a clutching means comprising a flexible band mounted at one point on said bracket and passing at least once around said clutching cylinder, and thereafter fastened to a second point of said bracket, said points of attachment being substantially opposite to the axis of the path of movement of the bracket, so that radial movement of the bracket produces a snubbing action on the clutching cylinder to transmit power to the pulley.

CARL O. BRUESTLE.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 272,330 Rouse Feb. 13, 1883 1715,4 13 Vanhouweling Dec. 9, 1992 779,855 Killinger Jan, 10, 1905 1,486,518 Hartley Mar. 11, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 28,961 France May 11, 1925 

